Learning Model Comparative Essay The two learning models I will compare in this article are the Problem Based Learning Model and Dale’s Cone of Experience. Each learning model has a unique insight into how to teachers can do to decide how to teach a lesson to the class. PBL is a learning model that suggests presenting students with a problem and then allowing them to actively acquire the knowledge they need to solve it. The Cone of Experience is a collection of data indicating which tasks are most effective in presenting information to students. From Wikipedia: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. It was pioneered and used extensively at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Characteristics of PBL are: ·Learning is driven by challenging, open-ended problems. ·Students work in small collaborative groups. ·Teachers take on the role as "facilitators" of learning. Accordingly, students are encouraged to take responsibility for their group and organize and direct the learning process with support from a tutor or instructor. Advocates of PBL claim it can be used to enhance content knowledge and foster the development of communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning skill.1 Presenting problems to learners Guidance is progressively faded. [adapted from Merrill (2002)] Problem-based learning (PBL) is typically organized with small groups of learners, accompanied by an instructor, faculty person, or facilitator. During this process, a series of problems are provided to learners with guidance early in the PBL process (with introductory problems), and then later guidance is faded as learners gain expertise (Merrill, 2002). Guidance is faded as group members feel more confident with the subject matter and become more competent with the learned procedures1. Dale's "Cone of Experience," was developed in 1946 by Edgar Dale. It provided an intuitive model of the concreteness of various audio-visual media. Dale included no numbers in his model and there was no research used to generate it. In fact, Dale warned his readers not to take the model too literally. Dale's Cone, copied without changes from the 3rd and final edition of his book, is presented below: Dale's Cone of Experience (Dale, 1969, p. 107) Dale’s cone simply suggests that the more a person is involved in their own learning, the more they will get out of what is being taught. As he originally did not include any percentages, the cone itself serves a visual aid to what he believed best assisted a student in their own learning. The Cone of Experience and Problem-Based learning models are both very successful in reaching their respective purposes to help accomplish the educational goals. It does clearly depend on the objective, however, to decide which method would work best in reaching the goals. The Cone of Experience is most used in classrooms that are “teacher-centered”, as it best details how teachers can present instructional material. However, the final outcome can meet the ultimate objective of teaching the students the material, since the Cone specifies that when students are expressly involved with the material the curriculum is preserved for a longer period of time. The PBL model is more naturally student-centered. The student finds a way to obtain the information he or she needs to complete the assigned objective while being supervised and guided by an instructor. This differs drastically from the Cone of Experience approach, in which the teacher provides the information, rather than this model which allows the students to find the tools to solve the problem themselves. Ideally, both these learning models can be used effectively in classroom practice. Both can even be used at once, if the instructor presents her students with the problem of teaching a certain skill or concept to their peers. It’s true, however, that these models are used most effectively in different contexts. The Cone of Experience is best used in a teacher oriented classroom in which the instructor is primarily responsible for curriculum delivery, while the Problem Based Learning Model is best used in an environment where the students are responsible for teaching themselves.2 As best described out by fellow students:
Problem Based Learning Model
Cone of Experience
Relative "student-centeredness"
The problem based learning model is primarily a student centered method of curriculum delivery, because the students decide the best way to get the information they need to solve their problem.
The Cone of Experience, on the other hand, is teacher centered because the teacher is still responsible for deciding the best method of getting the information to their students, though instructors can still create a learner centered environment using the information from the Cone of Experience.
Assessment
This model’s assessment and materials are very student centered and monitored by a mentor or teacher.
Usually by tests or written assignments and by responses from teachers either online or in class.
21st Century Fluencies
Problem based learning provides students the ability to use 21st century technology, but not to the same degree as the cone of experience, therefore lowering the retention rate of our students. The best area for 21st century fluencies in the problem based learning model is resource development, which only represents 1/6 of the model's learning cycle.
Cone Of Experience
The Cone of Experience is laced with 21st century accessibility. Through the use of technology, our students will possess a greater chance of immediately applying the desired skills necessary to complete our assessment. The use of technology and its ability to attain information quickly will allow students a higher chance of retention.
Ease of Use
This model is useful for developing a process for learning. It is nothing more or less than a process. It might be very easy to use if every situation requires a straightforward process and all learners are the same because you can go step by step.
This model would be very easy to use when deciding what activities to include in what units and the most important information for students to know because it illustrates which teaching techniques and tools help students retain information better. Just by looking at the cone/ pyramid you can see which tool can be used to achieve a desired amount of knowledge to be retained by the majority of students.
Learning Model Comparative Essay
The two learning models I will compare in this article are the Problem Based Learning Model and Dale’s Cone of Experience. Each learning model has a unique insight into how to teachers can do to decide how to teach a lesson to the class.
PBL is a learning model that suggests presenting students with a problem and then allowing them to actively acquire the knowledge they need to solve it. The Cone of Experience is a collection of data indicating which tasks are most effective in presenting information to students.
From Wikipedia: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. It was pioneered and used extensively at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Characteristics of PBL are:
· Learning is driven by challenging, open-ended problems.
· Students work in small collaborative groups.
· Teachers take on the role as "facilitators" of learning.
Accordingly, students are encouraged to take responsibility for their group and organize and direct the learning process with support from a tutor or instructor. Advocates of PBL claim it can be used to enhance content knowledge and foster the development of communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning skill.1
Presenting problems to learners
Guidance is progressively faded. [adapted from Merrill (2002)]
Problem-based learning (PBL) is typically organized with small groups of learners, accompanied by an instructor, faculty person, or facilitator. During this process, a series of problems are provided to learners with guidance early in the PBL process (with introductory problems), and then later guidance is faded as learners gain expertise (Merrill, 2002). Guidance is faded as group members feel more confident with the subject matter and become more competent with the learned procedures1.
Dale's "Cone of Experience," was developed in 1946 by Edgar Dale. It provided an intuitive model of the concreteness of various audio-visual media. Dale included no numbers in his model and there was no research used to generate it. In fact, Dale warned his readers not to take the model too literally. Dale's Cone, copied without changes from the 3rd and final edition of his book, is presented below:
Dale's Cone of Experience (Dale, 1969, p. 107)
Dale’s cone simply suggests that the more a person is involved in their own learning, the more they will get out of what is being taught. As he originally did not include any percentages, the cone itself serves a visual aid to what he believed best assisted a student in their own learning.
The Cone of Experience and Problem-Based learning models are both very successful in reaching their respective purposes to help accomplish the educational goals. It does clearly depend on the objective, however, to decide which method would work best in reaching the goals.
The Cone of Experience is most used in classrooms that are “teacher-centered”, as it best details how teachers can present instructional material. However, the final outcome can meet the ultimate objective of teaching the students the material, since the Cone specifies that when students are expressly involved with the material the curriculum is preserved for a longer period of time.
The PBL model is more naturally student-centered. The student finds a way to obtain the information he or she needs to complete the assigned objective while being supervised and guided by an instructor. This differs drastically from the Cone of Experience approach, in which the teacher provides the information, rather than this model which allows the students to find the tools to solve the problem themselves.
Ideally, both these learning models can be used effectively in classroom practice. Both can even be used at once, if the instructor presents her students with the problem of teaching a certain skill or concept to their peers. It’s true, however, that these models are used most effectively in different contexts. The Cone of Experience is best used in a teacher oriented classroom in which the instructor is primarily responsible for curriculum delivery, while the Problem Based Learning Model is best used in an environment where the students are responsible for teaching themselves.2
As best described out by fellow students:
Relative "student-centeredness"
Assessment
This model’s assessment and materials are very student centered and monitored by a mentor or teacher.
Usually by tests or written assignments and by responses from teachers either online or in class.
21st Century Fluencies
Problem based learning provides students the ability to use 21st century technology, but not to the same degree as the cone of experience, therefore lowering the retention rate of our students. The best area for 21st century fluencies in the problem based learning model is resource development, which only represents 1/6 of the model's learning cycle.
Cone Of Experience
The Cone of Experience is laced with 21st century accessibility. Through the use of technology, our students will possess a greater chance of immediately applying the desired skills necessary to complete our assessment. The use of technology and its ability to attain information quickly will allow students a higher chance of retention.
Ease of Use
This model is useful for developing a process for learning. It is nothing more or less than a process. It might be very easy to use if every situation requires a straightforward process and all learners are the same because you can go step by step.
This model would be very easy to use when deciding what activities to include in what units and the most important information for students to know because it illustrates which teaching techniques and tools help students retain information better. Just by looking at the cone/ pyramid you can see which tool can be used to achieve a desired amount of knowledge to be retained by the majority of students.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_Based_Learning
2. http://www.ed341.wikispaces.com